Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: $1,599 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $2,713 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $2,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $3,827 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $3,827

Living in Barcelona is roughly 53% more expensive than in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$18.76 ₽1,513
-6.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$87.9 ₽7,093
-23.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$11.19 ₽903
20.91%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$3.65 ₽294
-12.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$1.91 ₽154
52.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.93 ₽74.7
103.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$5.41 ₽437
-25.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$6.34 ₽512
-28.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.92 ₽154
-31.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.43 ₽196
-16.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
-
-
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$3.76 ₽304
28.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$20.18 ₽1,628
-17.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$8.50 ₽685
7.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$17.02 ₽1,373
15.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$4.85 ₽391
-38.56%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$3.24 ₽262
-37.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$2.54 ₽205
-62.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.65 ₽52.0
383.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$33.77 ₽2,724
-24.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$3.62 ₽292
-17.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.90 ₽73.0
100.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$53.9K ₽4.3M
-38.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$41.4K ₽3.3M
-23.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$123 ₽9,948
46.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$14.89 ₽1,201
-7.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$10.02 ₽808
236.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$37.25 ₽3,004
-57.15%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$7.23 ₽583
52.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$187 ₽15.1K
-53.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$125 ₽10.1K
-15.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$866 ₽69.8K
96.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$690 ₽55.7K
96.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$1,828 ₽147.4K
42.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$1,501 ₽121.0K
37.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
$1,482 ₽119.5K
49.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
24.33
-86.52%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
–
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
–
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
–
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
–
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
–
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $866 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $88 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $287, with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇷🇺 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
🕒 Local time
02:32 2:32 AM
12:32 12:32 PM
10 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
180,467
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 80.65 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.78 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 9,450 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Barcelona vs Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, so Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Average pay runs 49% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $866 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $67 versus $88 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How do commuting costs compare in Barcelona and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
A monthly transit pass in Barcelona runs roughly 25% less than in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is feasible on a $1,500 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Barcelona or Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
It comes down to priorities – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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